Farrah Fawcett

Actress, 62

During her meteoric rise to fame on Charlie's Angels, the public fell in love with Farrah Fawcett. But she proved she wasn't just another beautiful starlet when she garnered Emmy nominations for The Burning Bed, Small Sacrifices and The Guardian. Throughout, Farrah stayed close to her Texas roots, a down-home girl at heart. She adored her parents, and her crowning achievement was the birth of Redmond, her son with longtime partner Ryan O'Neal. When Farrah was given a diagnosis of cancer in 2006, she faced it with strength, determination and courage. She sought alternative treatment in Germany, where she asked me to film the procedures, and she allowed NBC to air Farrah's Story in hopes of helping others who were battling cancer. It was viewed by 15 million people and nominated for an Emmy. I was her close friend for 30 years. She was the golden girl  so strong, so fearless, so full of life.